David Flink Recognized as a 2021 Top 10 CNN Hero

David Flink Recognized as a 2021 Top 10 CNN Hero

Flink will receive a $10,000 cash donation to advance the work of Eye to Eye

NATIONAL – December 14, 2021 — On Dec. 12, 2021 David Flink, founder and Chief Empowerment Officer of Eye to Eye, was honored as one of the 2021 Top 10 CNN Heroes and awarded $10,000 in recognition of excellence and impact. CNN created the Heroes designation for “everyday people doing extraordinary things to change the world” and honored ten nominees during the 15th annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute, which aired live on CNN from the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. 

Anderson Cooper and Kelly Ripa, both of whom are impacted by learning differences, presented the award to Flink. Cooper shared, “In the United States, 1 in 5 children has Attention Deficit Disorder or other learning differences like dyslexia, as I do.” Ripa added that her son Joaquin has become an exceptional student after receiving accommodations because of his dyslexia and dysgraphia and “it’s made all of his other skills that much stronger.”

In accepting the award, Flink remarked, “To receive this honor at this time is momentous for students with learning disabilities. I am someone who is proudly dyslexic and ADHD. Whether you are part of the 20% that has an invisible disability (like me) or the 80% who are our allies, we need 100% of us to rethink our approach to supporting young people with learning disabilities.” (Watch the full remarks here.)

In 1998, Eye to Eye began as a college service project, and today is the only direct service, outreach, and advocacy organization whose programs are designed by, facilitated by, and feature youth and young adults who learn differently, such as those with specific learning disabilities (LDs) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Eye to Eye provides programming in charter, public, and private and independent schools in 21 states nationwide and has empowered more than 10,000 young adults.

With the $10,000 donation and an additional match of up to $50,000 made available by Subaru, Eye to Eye will use the funds to increase access to Eye to Eye’s programming for students with learning differences across the country and the educators that serve them. 

In addition, as part of the award package, Flink received media relations training from Fenton, the social change agency.

Since 2007, CNN has profiled more than 350 Heroes helping over 55 million people in all 50 states and more than 110 countries around the world. With a global reach of over 78 million households, CNN’s Heroes Award has inspired millions of global citizens to volunteer and give back to their respective communities and others. 

For more information on Eye to Eye, please visit www.eyetoeyenational.org. 

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About Eye to Eye Eye to Eye is a national nonprofit on a mission to improve the educational experience and outcomes of students who learn differently, including those with a specific learning disability (LD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). By partnering with schools, Eye to Eye helps students who learn differently embrace their strengths, build their self-esteem, and learn the skills to become self-advocates.

About CNN Worldwide CNN Worldwide is a portfolio of two dozen news and information services across cable, satellite, radio, wireless devices, and the Internet in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. Domestically, CNN reaches more individuals on television, the web, and mobile devices than any other cable TV news organization in the United States; internationally, CNN is the most widely distributed news channel reaching more than 271 million households abroad; and CNN Digital is a top network for online news, mobile news, and social media. Additionally, CNN Newsource is the world’s most extensively utilized news service partnering with hundreds of local and international news organizations around the world. CNN is a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company. For more information, visit http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/cnn-fact-sheet/.